William dilts



W. DILTS. LADDER.

(No Model.)

'NITED STATES PATENT FFICEQ IVILLIAM DILTS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO FREDRICK WVULFERS, OF SAME PLACE.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,263, dated July 15,1890. Application filed July 5, 1887 Serial No. 243,459. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Beit known that LWILLIAM DILTS, a citizen of the United States, residingat Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders and Trestles;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ladders and trestles, andespecially to extension and adjustable ladders and trestles.

United States Patent No. 359,716, granted to me March 22, 1887, for astep-ladder, sets forth and claims an extension step-ladder havingextensions for the upright supports, providing means I for standing theladder firmly on uneven ground, and where a tongue is formed on one partand a corresponding groove on the other part, which provide means foradjusting the said parts relative to each other.

The object of this invention is to provide similar means for otherladders and trestles as well as to apply the improvements herein claimedto step-ladders.

This invention consists in a tongue made separate from the other partsof the ladder or trestle and of malleable iron or other metal and havingthe means set forth and claimed for attaching it to either thesupporting-upright of a ladder or trestle or to its extension. Malleableiron is preferred for various reasons, among which the most importantare less liability to injury or breakage and adaptability to have partsformed thereon which can be bent or otherwise worked into shape byhammering or similar means without danger of injury. These tongues maybe made with various means for attaching them to the parts on which theyare to be used, and suchtongue may have a rectangular, a dovetail, orother cross-section, according to the design preferred. This tongue isto be secured to the side of an upright or its eX- tension, ashereindescribed, and the other part is to have a groove made in itwithin which the said tongue is to work. On account of the rounds orrungs being secured in the ladder-uprights it is preferable here,

:as in my above patent for step-ladders, to attach the tongue to theside of the ladder-upright and to make its groove in the extension.

Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 is a side view, of my ladderadjusted to stand firmly on uneven ground G and rest against a verticalwall W at its upper end; S), the steps, rounds or rungs.

Fig. 3 is a plan, Fig. 4 a bottom, and Fig. 5 a side, view of onemodification of my improved ladder-tongue, the tongue here shown havinga dovetailed crosssection. Figs. 6, 7, S, and 9 show modifications ofdetails. Figs. 10 and 11 show a tongue made with parallel sides. Figs.12 and 13 show details. Figs. 14: and 15 show castings and a set-screwor fastening-screw, which may be used with either a straight-sidedtongue or one whose sides are dovetailed. Fig. 16 shows the hinged topof a trestle.

The same letters or numbers designate the same parts in the differentfigures.

Sometimes modifications are designated by different letters or numbers.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the preferable modification of separately-constructedattachable and removable ladder-tongues, and which is shown. separate inFigs. 3, 4:, and 5, and show the preferable arrangement of the tongueand groove.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show a tongue having inclined or dovetailed sides o, ahead 1, tapered off exteriorly at the end and edges and having squareshoulders 7} and flanges or side projections 3, with screw-holes 13 forscrews 13, which are used to attach the head end to the side of theladder-upright 10, Figs. 1 and 2. Similar flanges or projections 3 forscrews 13 are placed at the center and lower end of the tongue 11.

Fig? 2 shows the flanges 3 and head 1, made the same width as theupright 10. The outer surfaces of these flanges are even with the backside of the tongue 11, and consequently they must be sunk intocorresponding notches 'n in the part 10, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the central flange 3 is in section through the screw-hole 13.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the tongue 11 is attached to the upright 10, and thegroove g, in which it works, is made in the extension 12, as clearlyshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, (other forms of grooves being shown inFigs. 12 and 14,) the latter figure showing the end of the upright 10 bydotted line 8, and the groove g, terminating at g some distance from thelower end of the extension, so that the end of the extension may bestronger than if the groove were cut its whole length.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the upper end of the extension 12 has a casting 4fitted thereon and secured by screws 5 7. This casting is designed tostrengthen the end of the extension and prevent its splitting, and alsoto form a nut for a wing-screw or binding-screw 0, whose end engages theholes 0 in the tongue 11, Fig. 2, and prevents any displacement of theparts of the ladder, the upper end of the casting i being squared toabut against the shoulders i on the tongue-heads 1.

In Figs. 6, 7, and S the dotted line 0 o corresponds with the outer edgeof the upright 10 and the dotted line 0 o with the inner edge, and themodifications of tongues there shown have the malleable flanges orprojections 11, corresponding in position and function to the flanges 3in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Here, however, the projections extend so thattheir parts it between the dotted lines o 0 and 0' 0 can be bent aroundagainst the sides of the upright 10, as shown in Fig. 7, and they extendbeyond the dotted line 0 0, so that their ends u may be bent around theback side of the upright 10, as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7, in connection with Figs. 1 and 5, plainly shows the dovetailedor inclined sides of the tongue 11.

Fig. 7 shows notches of, which permit sinking the projections 11 out ofthe way of the extension 12, the same as shown at 02, Figs. -1

In Fig. (i the parts a of the projecand 2. tions 11 are pointed, so thatthey may be driven into the wood at the back of the upi right 10.

Figs. 9, 10, 11., 11, and 15 show a removable or attachable tongue 15,having straight or parallel sides '0, as shown clearly in Figs. 10

and 14. There the tongue 15 is secured to the upright 10 by means ofscrews 16. When this modification is used, it is necessary to have somemeans for holding the parts 10 and 12 together, and Figs. 11 and 15 showa casting i for the upper end of the extension 12, having extensionswhich lap behind the back edges of the upright 10, as do the parts it ofthe projections 11 in Fig. 7.

Figs. 1.4: and 15 show a ladder-casting 19, secured to the lower end ofthe upright 10 by means of screws 20 and 21, and which embraces both theupright 10 and its extension 12. When such castings as 4 and 19 are usedin connection with a rectangular tongue, as 15, Figs. 10, 11,11, and 15,the parts 10 and 12 may be free to slide upon each each other and yet besecurely held together.

In Fig. 9 a modification of the tongue 11 is shown having lugs 17 castthereon, which can have screw-threads cut at 18 and nuts placed thereonfor securing the tongue to the upright 10. The part 17 could be aWrought nail, whose head could be cast to the tongue 11 and whose end 18could be pointed, so as to be clinched upon or forced into the wood ofthe upright 10. The tongue 15 (shown in Figs. 10, 11, 14, and 15) couldlikewise have such fastenings.

Fig. 12 shows a tongue 22, having ledges 23 at its sides, whicharrangement is equivalent to that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, andwhere the extension 12 can be held to the upright 10 by means of theledges 23 only; but a casting 2-1 is shown, having its sides 15embracing both the upright 10 and the extension 12, and having ends tbent behind the corners of the upright 10; but as the device 2et issecured by screws 25 to the extension 12 only the parts 10 and 12 arefree to slide upon each other.

Fig. 13 is a large-sized view showing a crosssection of thestraight-sided lug 15, through the center of a hole 0, which iscountersunk (as are the holes in all modifications of tongues) and inwhich the end n of the screw 6 is forced and held by means of the threadS on screw (5 and a nut of some kind secured to the extension 12. Theseholes 0 may be made in the tongue when it is cast, or they may besubsequently made therein by suit able tools or machinery.

Figs. 2, 3, 6, 8, and 11 show tongues having a central row ofcountersunk holes for such a fastening device as the screw 6. In Fig. 13these holes are shown east in one side of the tongue; but they could bemade clear through the tongue, if desirable. The screw 6 is shown with apin end a, which end a is the real device which engages the holes 0, thethread S simply serving as one means for holding the device inengagement. The pin n could be made integral with a spring (as well) orbe attached to a spring or other device secured to the casting t or tothe upright 12 in a manner adapted to be operated by the hand.

I do not limit myself to any particular arrangement or engaging devicefor the purpose of retaining the ladder or trestle parts in any desiredrelative position so long as such device engages recesses (in abroadsense) in the tongue. These attachable and removable tongues arepreferably made of malleable iron, and by their use it is plain to seethat ordinary ladders or trestles now in use may have theseseparately-constructed tonguesfastened to their sides and have suchextensions as herein described connected therewith, so as to make anextension or adjustable ladder or trestle out of any ordinary ladder ortrestle now in use.

In Fig. 10 the top of a trestle is shown. Its

uprights 1O correspond to the uprights 10 of the ladder. The extensionsfor the trestle, the tongues, and other attachments are of coursesimilar to those for the ladder, and hence need not be shown twice.These trestles are used mostly by plasterers, painters, paper-hangers,and others who use the extension or adjustable ladders.-

I claim- 1. Separately-constructed attachable and removable tongues'forladders or trestles and having side projections for attaching them tothe ladder or trestle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. Separately-constructed attachable and removable tongues for laddersand trestles and having shouldered heads at their upper ends, incombination with upright extensions having the upper parts adapted toengage and bear against the shoulders on the tongueheads, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. Separatelyconstructed attachable and removable integral metal tonguesfor ladders and trestles for use between the ladder-upright and itsextension and having a central row of recesses or holes for securing asuitable fastening device, as a pin-ended screw, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

4. In ladders and trestles having independent upright-extensions, thecombination of one upright, the extension for this upright, a

separately-constructed attachable and removable metal tongue secured toone of the said parts, a corresponding groove in the other part, inwhich the said tongue is adapted to fit and Work, and a device havingapin end (or the equivalent) for engaging the tongue, and its otherportion engaging or connected to the part having the groove, whereby thesaid parts may be retained in any desired relative position,substantially as set forth.

5. In a ladder or trestle, the combination 0 the upright,theupright-extension, a separately-constructed attachable and removablemetal tongue secured to one of the said parts, a corresponding groove inthe other part, in which the said tongue is adapted to fit and work, acasting on the extension, and ascrow working in the said casting andhaving its end adapted to engage recesses in the tongue, whereby thesaid parts may be retained in any desired relativeposition,substantiallyas set forth. g

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM DILTS. Witnesses:

E. P. ROBBINS, \VILLIAM REINHART,

